


Orbit

by manycoloureddays



Series: Stargazing [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 21:25:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8118118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manycoloureddays/pseuds/manycoloureddays
Summary: “OHMYGOODNESS! YOU’REGETTINGMARRIED!”Or, Parvati freaks out about proposing to Lavender.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wingedgods](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingedgods/gifts).



> Happy Birthday Grace!

“Okay, you’ve been weird and jumpy every day this week, and now I come in to find you asleep at your desk?” Demelza sighs, all put upon assistant. “What’s going on, boss?”

She plonks a coffee on the desk, just out of reach, so Parvati has to drag herself upright from where she’s slumped sideways across her armchair. It was an extravagance. An armchair in a pokey, third floor office in Diagon Alley, but her parents had bought it for her when she set up _Investigations,_ and it was comfy. She groans, back stiff and a crick in her neck. As comfy as the chair is, she really shouldn’t spend full nights in it.

“Nothing’s going on.”

“Mmhmm, sure.” Parvati looks up from the mug, and straight into a look of absolute scepticism. “You know, that might cut it for other people, but Parvati, you’re a private investigator. You’re a detective. And you’ve trained me to be your assistant. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I couldn’t read you like an open book. Now, what’s going on?”

“Nothing work related,” she tries. And then, because Demelza’s right, and an excellent assistant, and ended up kidnapped when she interviewed a suspect last week and probably deserves a much, much better boss than Parvati is capable of being this early in the morning, she relents. “It’s home stuff. Lavender stuff.”

Demelza’s expression goes from sceptical to outright confusion, her brows furrowing, and her lip caught between her teeth. It’s such a rare sight these days. The first couple of weeks had been difficult; both of them feeling each other and the job out, but after they’d closed their first case Demelza seemed to take everything that came after in her stride. She is, Parvati has decided, the best Girl Friday. And as her right hand woman, Demelza’s presence in her life has not remained strictly professional; Lavender adopted her immediately. So her expression doesn’t completely throw Parvati; she gets it, Demelza’s invested in their relationship.

“Woah there, D,” Parvati says, smile growing by the second. It’s the coffee. Definitely. “There’s nothing wrong with home stuff. We’re good. Great even. Just nervous about some … home stuff.”

“OHMYGOODNESS! YOU’REGETTINGMARRIED!” And there’s the slightly annoying side of her deductive skills.

“Maybe. Possibly. I don’t know yet, I haven’t asked.” Demelza is grinning, all too knowing, and slightly judgemental. It’s like having another sister. A little sister.

“And why not?”

“Because I’m not sure how to yet. I want it to be special. Not for myself, I don’t really mind, we’re practically married anyway. Although we were over at Harry’s for dinner last week and Hermione was saying that marriage changed things a little, even if things were still mostly the same for her and Ron. But I want it to be special for Lavender, because she’ll want to remember it. She won’t say it, not anymore, but she’ll want – ” She breaks off, because Demelza’s shoulders are shaking with repressed giggles, and really that’s just obnoxious. “What?”

“Nothing.” Demelza’s mouth tightens in the corners as she tries to hide a smile. “Nothing at all. I just have to run and send an owl to your sister. Go back to your important detection and avoidance tactics.”

Parvati grumps to herself for a moment about meddling sisters, and over invested assistants, and the world in general, before stretching out the muscles that have stiffened overnight and downing the rest of her coffee. She just wants everything to be perfect for Lavender, whatever that happens to mean. It doesn’t make her a crazy avoider.

“Shake it off, Patil,” she mumbles. “Focus.”

 

When Demelza returns half an hour later, with a bag from Quality Quidditch Supplies and Padma in tow, Parvati has finished all the paperwork from her last case, reorganised her memory collection for her current case, and may or may not be playing gobstones against herself waiting for her Inner Eye to get a move on.

“ _Parvati_ ,” Padma sighs, and Parvati feels like she’s six again, and has been caught eyeing sweets by her mother. It’s eerie.

Parvati clambers up off the floor, and dusts off her robes.

“ _Padma_ ,” she mimics, because she’s not above that. And then, as Demelza walks past, “traitor.”

“Don’t be like that, Parvati. She was right to send for me. I hear you’re being ridiculous and stubborn, and that maybe you’re focusing a little too much on the details. Does that sound about right?”

“You sound more and more like mum everyday,” Parvati moans. But it’s Padma, and Padma knows her better than anyone else in the world, and loves her anyway. She can do this. “Demelza, you can take the rest of the day. I’ll let you know if anything changes.”

 

“Let me just check I understand you.” Padma’s brow is furrowed, and her eyes are shining with a new problem to solve. “You want to make this so special, and so personal, and so above and beyond meaningful, because you love Lavender and want everyone you care about to know that you want to spend the rest of your lives together. And because you want it to be so special and so personal, you’re panicking and procrastinating and not going home to talk to Lavender - who you love and adore and who probably has quite a bit to say about this by the way? This is the problem?”

“That is the problem,” Parvati sighs, dragging her finger through her hair. “It sounds completely ridiculous when you say it though. It’s much more rational in my head.”

“Mmm, I suspect most things are.” The jab is delivered absentmindedly; a sibling instinct so ingrained that Padma doesn’t need to take a break from organising Parvati’s life to say it. “Alright. I’m going to give you a few suggestions, and then you are going to go home. Do we have a deal?”

Parvati may have faced Death Eaters, and face the occasional hardened criminal by choice, but the expression on Padma’s face is far scarier than any of that. She swallows. She nods. There’s no backing out now.

“Good. Well, if I know Lavender at all, I wouldn’t say she needs an over the top proposal. Sixteen year old Lavender maybe, but not anymore. It just needs to be about the two of you. So, with that in mind – ”

 

Two hours later Parvati looks around to survey her hard work. She has cast more cleaning spells than she thought she remembered, Lavender’s favourite dinner is bubbling away on the stove, and there’s a bottle of the expensive champagne in the fridge, courtesy of Pansy. She flips open the lid of the ring box she’s had in her bag for two months, and smiles. Of course, that’s when Lavender walks out of the fireplace.

“Honey, I’m home,” she sings out. Her smile grows when she sees that Parvati, dithering in the middle of the lounge room. Fortunately the box fits in her pocket, and is soon out of sight. “And so are you. It’s been a few days since you were home at a reasonable hour.”

Parvati hopes tonight is a start towards the apology she owes for the hurt that Lavender can’t quite mask. She steps forward and opens her arms, and the rest of the tension she’s been carrying with her for days finally disappears when Lavender meets her halfway. They both cling a little tighter than normal. Parvati owes her so many apologies. She loves her so much.

“I love you,” Lavender whispers into her neck. “I love you so much, Parvati Patil.”

Parvati beams. “I love you so so much, Lavender Brown.”

Lavender pulls back just enough for Parvati to see her roll her eyes, but the effect is thoroughly ruined by her warm smile. Parvati can’t help but lean in and kiss her. Just once. Soft and sure and home.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s been bothering you?” Lavender asks. “Or are we waiting until after dinner, which smells divine by the way.”

“Now,” Parvati clears her throat a little. “Now is good.”

Lavender smiles, nods encouragingly, and she is the most amazing thing Parvati has ever seen. How could she possibly have been nervous about this? She takes the box out of her pocket, and opens the lid like the thousand other times since she bought it. It’s white gold, with one, very small, nearly affordable, diamond.

“I love you so, so, much, Lavender Brown,” she smiles through tears that seem to be catching. She can’t look away from Lavender’s face. She had wanted to say more, but what else was there? “I love you more than words. Will you marry –?“

            “Yes!” Lavender launches herself at Parvati, takes her face in her hands and kisses her breathless. She walks Parvati backwards to the couch, and climbs in her lap, and doesn’t stop kissing her, except to breath ‘yes’ at regular intervals before kissing her again.

            Lavender is wearing the ring, but fewer clothes, by the time the smell of burnt pasta sauce reaches them. Parvati snorts, grabs her wand and points it in the direction of kitchen. They don’t need dinner yet anyway.

 


End file.
